4 position players the Cardinals could trade for this offseason

In his one of most recent chats, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was asked if the St. Louis Cardinals should target a top-of-the-rotation pitcher to pair with Sonny Gray or find a "big bopper" position player this offseason. Ideally, as Goold stated, both should be acquired. However, he went on to say that a "tentpole" hitter -- someone who can slot into the heart of a batting order -- would likely be acquired via trade rather than free agency.

Therefore, it feels logical for the Cardinals to trade for a tentpole bat this offseason. Lately, the front office has been hesitant to trade its prospects. Instead, John Mozeliak has opted to build up the farm system with trades of veterans, particularly at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. This year, Mozeliak finagled trades to improve the team without trading any of the organization's top prospects.

There could be several key position players available this offseason via trade. Making offseason trades for big-name players has been John Mozeliak's modus operandi of late. He's worked trades during the offseason for players like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and others. The same could happen this offseason.

It's been rumored that payroll will be frozen or possibly cut this offseason. Therefore, player acquisition will be difficult even with over $50 million coming off the books from free agents this offseason. Acquiring players via trade allows a little more financial flexibility, particularly if the opposing team sends cash over to help offset the financial differences should the Cardinals trade prospects instead of major league players.

First base, outfield, and even designated hitter are all positions the Cardinals could improve, but a utility infielder to pair with Brendan Donovan, Thomas Saggese, Masyn Winn, and Nolan Gorman next year wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Here are 4 "tentpole" bats that the Cardinals can acquire this offseason via trade.

OF Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward was rumored to be as good as gone at this year's trade deadline. Instead, the Angels held on to their potent outfielder in hopes of contending in 2025 and 2026. That concept looks bleak, though, as the Angels don't have a very strong farm system, and Mike Trout's health has failed him in recent years.

If general manager Perry Minasian decides that 2025 isn't the team's competitive window, he could look to shop players like Taylor Ward once again. If that's the case, John Mozeliak should give him a call immediately. Ward, 30, is a right-handed outfielder who could realistically see time in center field, something the Cardinals could use desperately since Victor Scott II, Michael Siani, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson all hit left-handed. Ward would bring balance to the outfield in that respect.

He is a career .252/.329/.430 hitter, but his last four seasons have all been strong and have featured him being an above-average hitter. This year, Ward has a .246/.319/.434 slash line with 23 home runs for an OPS+ of 110. Ward's June and July months were poor, but he's managed to have a 1.182 OPS in September through just 11 games. He's graded out as a positive defender in the outfield according to all metrics for his career.

Ward still has two more years of arbitration left, and he was paid $4.8 million this year. He's going to see boosts in salary these next two seasons, so he could eventually surpass $10 million via arbitration. His team control paired with his potent offense and serviceable defense could make him a costly commodity this offseason, but his strong offensive output should fit the bill as a "tentpole bat".

2B Brandon Lowe

This deal only makes perfect sense if the Cardinals trade Nolan Gorman this offseason and use Thomas Saggese as a utility infielder. If St. Louis intends on keeping Gorman and not using Saggese fully, then acquiring Brandon Lowe feels like a foolish move.

Lowe, 30, bats from the left side of the plate, and he's been known to display a lot of power throughout his career. He has a career .238 ISO, and he hit 39 home runs as recently as 2021 for the Tampa Bay Rays. Health has always been an issue for Lowe; he's played more than 109 games just once in his seven-year career. But when he's been healthy, he's been an elite offensive player.

After a slow start to the year, Lowe has turned it around quite nicely. He has a .244/.321/.482 slash line with a .343 wOBA and 18 home runs in just 94 games. His strikeout rate has always floated around 25% for his career, but his walk rate this year has fallen marginally to just 8.9%. One would like to see a greater balance between these two figures even with his extreme power output.

Brandon Lowe has never been an extremely streaky hitter, as his OPS has never dropped below .731 in any given month for his career, and his slugging percentage has always remained above .400. This is a welcome change for a power-hitting second baseman, as Nolan Gorman, the team's usual power-hitting second baseman, can be prone to heavy slumps.

Lowe grades out as a neutral defender according to defensive runs saved, ultimate zone rating, and outs above average, so his work on that side of the game isn't a concern. He's nearing the end of a six-year, $24 million contract that he signed in 2019; there are two more years remaining, and they're both club options valued at $10.5 million and $11.5 million. Once again, we are talking about the Rays here, so the Cardinals' brass should operate carefully.

DH/OF Brent Rooker

Wouldn't this be nice? The Cardinals' 2024 manager, be it Oliver Marmol or someone else, could plug Brent Rooker in as the team's designated hitter every day and not think twice about it.

Rooker will turn 30 in November, so he's definitely what most would call a "late bloomer". He didn't debut until he was almost 26, but he's made up for the lost time these past two seasons. After slow starts with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Kansas City Royals, Rooker has found a home with the Oakland Athletics. He has spent most of his time as a designated hitter, but he's also played a little bit of corner outfield for the A's.

This year, Rooker is slashing .298/.370/.578 with 36 home runs and 103 runs batted in. He has a crazy .947 OPS and a 170 OPS+. It's not hyperbolic to say that Brent Rooker has been one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball this year. It's taken him some time to discover his power stroke, but he seems to have tapped into something these past two years offensively.

In just 102.1 innings in the outfield this year, Rooker has accumulated -2 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above average. If the Cardinals acquire him this offseason, he should be used sparingly in the outfield. Given the fact that the Cardinals have at least five players who could plausibly play the outfield next year, his time out there probably won't be necessary.

The one-time All-Star will enter arbitration for the first time next year, so he still has three more years of team control. A player with his offensive profile and team control won't come cheap; to acquire Brent Rooker, at least one of the organization's top prospects will have to go. Perhaps John Mozeliak can get creative and send some major league players over as well to entice the A's.